Battle for Wentworth a liberal war of words

Peter King, the besieged federal Liberal MP for Wentworth, was working the highways and byways of his eastern Sydney constituency yesterday recruiting members to the Liberal Party.

He has until tomorrow night to sign up an army of new members to thwart a preselection challenge by merchant banker Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr King and Mr Turnbull, both Rhodes Scholars and barristers, are locked in battle in the blue ribbon seat which covers Australia's most valuable real estate and its wealthiest voters.

It covers the blue-chip harbourside suburbs of Darling Point, Double Bay, Rose Bay and Vaucluse and the oceanfront suburbs from Bondi to Coogee.

After criticising Mr Turnbull for ALP-style branch-stacking, Mr King set up shop yesterday in Queen Street, Woollahra, and later in Double Bay to recruit "instant" members on payment of a $68 joining fee by personal cheque or credit card.

"Politics is all about people not power," said Mr King, who is the son-in-law of former Nationals' leader Ian Sinclair.

"It is not about big names either.

"Is Mr Turnbull running against me or is it really John Howard?

"A woman said to me yesterday that a gross injustice is happening and I absolutely agree with her. A nasty hijack is happening."

Mr King, who is being challenged after just 20 months in Federal Parliament, accused the Turnbull camp of "degrading politics and the Liberal Party"

He has reportedly recruited up to 1000 members across the constituency's 22 branches since Mr Turnbull broke cover three weeks ago and began his campaign for a political career in Canberra.

This compares with the extraordinary expansion of the sleepy Point Piper branch to a membership of almost 800, the vast majority in support of Mr Turnbull, husband of Sydney Lord Mayor Lucy Turnbull.

Told of Mr King's 11th-hour recruitment drive, Mr Turnbull said: "He seems to be be recruiting people to the Liberal Party. That's good. I have always supported raising the membership.

"I hope he will now stop criticising me for recruiting new members."

Mr King's latest membership applications will be processed by Liberal headquarters in William Street this week and the recruits will be allocated to branches by next Sunday, the deadline for closing the electorate's membership rolls.

Under NSW Liberal Party rules, branches with the biggest number of members send the greatest number of preselectors to the meeting to choose the candidate.

Prime Minister John Howard has disappointed Mr King's supporters by standing aloof from the Wentworth battle and not lending his unreserved support.

Mr Howard believes that the matter should be dealt with by the Wentworth branches according to party rules and he does not wish to inflame either of the warring factions.

Mr King has been heartened by the comments of some federal ministers.

Health Minister Tony Abbott said Mr King, who is in his first term, "deserves to be reselected", while Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill said he "certainly doesn't, in my view, deserve to be dumped".

Meanwhile, the party's national office has started a search for a new federal treasurer following Mr Turnbull's resignation to concentrate on winning preselection.

No appointment is expected for at least a month. Mr Turnbull is continuing to raise funds. The position is crucial in the run-up to the election.